George Washington "Wash" Davis was born on February 16th, 1826 in Claiborne County, Tennessee, the son of Alexander and Mary (Gouger) Davis. After being briefly married in the early 1850s to Jane Lawson, he was divorced and came to Christian County, Missouri with his young daughter Mary, and settled just south of the current town of Clever, one of the pioneers of that community. On May 2nd, 1861, he married Anne Eliza Hart.

    The following August the Battle of Wilson's Creek raged only a few miles away from the Davis house, and Wash may have joined his two brother-in-laws, Roswell and Pleasant in scouting for General Lyon. On March 7th, 1862 "Wash" joined Company F of the 14th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Volunteers and was mustered into service in Springfield on April 8th. He served as a private in company F until the regiment was disbanded in 1863. "Wash" Davis was then transferred to Company B, 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Volunteers.

    For some unknown reason, Wash and some other men didn't report to the 8th Regiment right away, and were almost court-martialed for their slowness. However, the Army decided that the delay was not desertion, and only withheld their pay for the time they were AWOL. Wash served without further incident until he was mustered out on March 11th, 1865 in Springfield.

    After serving, Wash returned to his family and to farming, but a long-standing feud between his brother-in-law Ross Hart and himself resulting in Ross Hart hiring two men in December of 1873 to kill Wash Davis. On Dec. 11th, 1873, Sam Orr and Allen Cox shot Wash in the back of the head as they feigned buying grain for their horses from him at Wash's farm. The men were caught and later hanged after a long investigation and a series of events worthy of any western. Ross Hart, was never convicted of any part in the crime. Wash's widow remarried briefly in the 1870s, but divorced and re-took her first married name. Aside from Homestead land, she never applied for a widow's pension or any other military benefit. she died in 1899. Wash and Anne are buried side by side at Wise Hill Cemetery, north of Clever, Missouri.

Affidavit

Researcher of Private George Washington "Wash" Davis.
E-Mail: Eddie Davis
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